The bill also calls for a testing program to assess the performance of contracted guards.

FPS protects 9,000 federal buildings across the country. The service has come under attack for poor management and employee performance. In one incident in 2006, an infant in a carrier was placed in an X-ray machine.

"The agency must be turned around, which is why we are introducing this legislation to strengthen its management, provide it with the necessary resources to fulfill its mission, and help it function at a higher level," Lieberman said in a statement.

The bill would also allow FPS guards to carry firearms off duty, "allowing them to respond to incidents more quickly," according to a release from the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Lieberman is chairman of the committee.